212 research outputs found
Narcotics anonymous attendees’ perceptions and experiences of substitute behaviors in the Western Cape, South Africa
Much remains unknown about the dynamics of substitute behaviors during addiction recovery among
persons attending recovery support groups. Insight into the nature, motives for, and course of substitute behaviors
could help to shape recovery support and harm reduction services. Twenty-three semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 14 males and n = 9 females) were conducted with a
convenience sample of Narcotics Anonymous attendees from a number of groups in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Participants ranged in age from 22—55 years (M = 39.3, SD = 9.35)
Service providers’ perceptions of substitute addictions in the Western Cape, South Africa
Globally little is known regarding substance use service providers’ perceptions of substitute behaviours
and this significant gap could hinder service provision and recovery outcomes. Semistructured
focus group discussions (including 22 service providers across five sites) were conducted
in residential treatment facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Service providers recognised
substances (e.g. cigarettes and caffeine) and behaviours (e.g. gambling, eating, love, sex, shopping,
exercise, and gaming) as potential substitutes. Identified substitute motives included managing
cravings; self-medication; filling the experiential void of the primary substance, and time-spending.
Concurrent behaviours and addictions were believed to be a key mechanism underlying substitution
however, service providers did not uniformly screen for co-occurring behavioural addictions.
Substitute behaviours were primarily considered a pathway to relapse and service providers emphasised
prevention, detection and family education. To suitably intervene, screening for co-occurring
behaviours should be an integral part of the assessment of those presenting for substance use
treatment
Substitute behaviors following residential substance use treatment in the Western Cape, South Africa
The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood
globally, and particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This prospective study describes
the prevalence and types of substitute behaviors as well as predictors, correlates, and motivations
associated with substitution in persons (n = 137) admitted to residential substance use treatment
in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The brief assessment of recovery capital, overall
life satisfaction scale, and an adapted version of the addiction matrix self-report measure were
completed during and post-treatment. Results indicate that substitutes were employed consciously
for anticipated appetitive effects, for time-spending, (re)connecting with others, and enjoyment. At
follow-up, 36% of service users had substituted their primary substance(s) with another substance
or behavior; 23% had relapsed and 40% had maintained abstinence. While some service users may
be especially vulnerable to developing substitute behaviors, targeted prevention and intervention
efforts can reduce this risk
Youths’ perceptions of the relation between alcohol consumption and risky sexual behaviour in the Western Cape, South Africa: a qualitative study
The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that youth identify as contributing to alcohol consumption, and more specifcally its relation to risky sexual behaviour among youth. We employed an exploratory qualitative method using focus
group discussions with 34 young people between the ages of 18-25-years-old in low
socio-economic status communities in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Data were analyzed thematically utilizing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis process. We identifed two thematic domains pertaining to alcohol
consumption and risky sexual behaviour, namely individual and social factors, each
comprising three themes. The individual factors thematic domain comprises intrapersonal infuences, employment and educational attainment; while the social factors thematic domain includes interpersonal infuences, social infuences, and hope
for the future. Youth living in low socio-economic status communities were thought
to be at greater risk of alcohol misuse and subsequent risky behaviour, given the
political and social history of marginalisation, systematic oppression, and social
inequality. To address alcohol use and risky sexual behavior among youth, we recommend interventions with adolescents, parents or guardians, and the community.
More specifcally, interventions aimed at adolescents should focus on the transition
to young adulthood. Interventions with parents should focus on their role in modelling and potentially regulating alcohol consumption. Finally, community interventions should centre on drinking behaviors, levels of drinking, what constitutes harmful drinking, and how to identify when treatment and recovery support is likely to be
required
Reflections on the development and utility of a participatory community violence surveillance methodology
The goal of this study was to illustrate the development and utility of a community violence surveillance
methodology, as a component of a larger participatory violence prevention project in a low-income South African
community. Using focus group discussions, data were collected from 12 community and academic research
partners. These discussions were audio recorded, transcribed and then thematically analysed. The findings
revealed that the participatory orientation to the research enabled researchers to develop an instrument that
was appropriate for the community, collaboratively. The collaborative creation of the violence surveillance
questionnaire and the use of community members to implement the system after intensive capacity building
instilled a sense of ownership and promoted sustainability in this project. In addition, data generated by the
surveillance system provided baseline and prevalence data which could be used to advocate for violence
prevention and develop relevant interventions. This process also resulted in the provision of victim support
through debriefing and referrals. Future research could focus on developing and implementing similar surveillance
systems in communities and monitoring the effects thereof over time.Institute for Social and Health Studies (ISHS
Chickens, more than humans, focus the diversity of their immunoglobulin genes on the complementarity-determining region but utilise amino acids, indicative of a more cross-reactive antibody repertoire
The mechanisms of B-cell diversification differ greatly between aves and mammals, but both produce B cells and antibodies capable of supporting an effective immune response. To see how differences in the generation of diversity might affect overall repertoire diversity, we have compared the diversity characteristics of immunoglobulin genes from domestic chickens to those from humans. Both use V(D)J gene rearrangement and somatic hypermutation, but only chickens use somatic gene conversion. A range of diversity analysis tools were used to investigate multiple aspects of amino acid diversity at both the germline and repertoire levels. The effect of differing amino acid usages on antibody characteristics was assessed. At both the germline and repertoire levels, chickens exhibited lower amino acid diversity in comparison to the human immunoglobulin genes, especially outside of the complementarity-determining region (CDR). Chickens were also found to possess much larger and more hydrophilic CDR3s with a higher predicted protein binding potential, suggesting that the antigen-binding site in chicken antibodies is more flexible and more polyreactive than that seen in human antibodies
Investigating Thermal Contrasts Between Jupiter's Belts, Zones, and Polar Vortices with VLT/VISIR
Using images at multiple mid-infrared wavelengths, acquired in May 2018 using
the VISIR instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), we study Jupiter's
pole-to-pole thermal, chemical and aerosol structure in the troposphere and
stratosphere. We confirm that the pattern of cool and cloudy anticyclonic zones
and warm cloud-free cyclonic belts persists throughout the mid-latitudes, up to
the polar boundaries, and evidence a strong correlation with the vertical
maximum windshear and the locations of Jupiter's zonal jets. At high latitudes,
VISIR images reveal a large region of mid-infrared cooling poleward
64N and 67S extending from the upper
troposphere to the stratosphere, co-located with the reflective aerosols
observed by JunoCam, and suggesting that aerosols play a key role in the
radiative cooling at the poles. Comparison of zonal-mean thermal properties and
high-resolution visible imaging from Juno allows us to study the variability of
atmospheric properties as a function of altitude and jet boundaries,
particularly in the cold southern polar vortex. However, the southern
stratospheric polar vortex is partly masked by a warm mid-infrared signature of
the aurora. Co-located with the southern main auroral oval, this warming
results from the auroral precipitation and/or joule heating which heat the
atmosphere and thus cause a significant stratospheric emission. This high
emission results from a large enhancement of both ethane and acetylene in the
polar region, reinforcing the evidence of enhanced ion-related chemistry in
Jupiter's auroral regions
Saturn's Seasonal Variability from Four Decades of Ground-Based Mid-Infrared Observations
A multi-decade record of ground-based mid-infrared (7-25 m) images of
Saturn is used to explore seasonal and non-seasonal variability in thermal
emission over more than a Saturnian year (1984-2022). Thermal emission measured
by 3-m and 8-m-class observatories compares favourably with synthetic images
based on both Cassini-derived temperature records and the predictions of
radiative climate models. 8-m class facilities are capable of resolving thermal
contrasts on the scale of Saturn's belts, zones, polar hexagon, and polar
cyclones, superimposed onto large-scale seasonal asymmetries. Seasonal changes
in brightness temperatures of K in the stratosphere and K in
the upper troposphere are observed, as the northern and southern polar
stratospheric vortices (NPSV and SPSV) form in spring and dissipate in autumn.
The timings of the first appearance of the warm polar vortices is successfully
reproduced by radiative climate models, confirming them to be radiative
phenomena, albeit entrained within sharp boundaries influenced by dynamics.
Axisymmetric thermal bands (4-5 per hemisphere) display temperature gradients
that are strongly correlated with Saturn's zonal winds, indicating winds that
decay in strength with altitude, and implying meridional circulation cells
forming the system of cool zones and warm belts. Saturn's thermal structure is
largely repeatable from year to year (via comparison of infrared images in 1989
and 2018), with the exception of low-latitudes. Here we find evidence of
inter-annual variations because the equatorial banding at 7.9 m is
inconsistent with a -year period for Saturn's equatorial stratospheric
oscillation, i.e., it is not strictly semi-annual. Finally, observations
between 2017-2022 extend the legacy of the Cassini mission, revealing the
continued warming of the NPSV during northern summer. [Abr.]Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Icaru
Passive Sampling to Scale Wastewater Surveillance of Infectious Disease: Lessons Learned From COVID-19
Much of what is known and theorized concerning passive sampling techniques has been developed considering chemical analytes. Yet, historically, biological analytes, such as Salmonella typhi, have been collected from wastewater via passive sampling with Moore swabs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, passive sampling is re-emerging as a promising technique to monitor SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater. Method comparisons and disease surveillance using composite, grab, and passive sampling for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection have found passive sampling with a variety of materials routinely produced qualitative results superior to grab samples and useful for sub-sewershed surveillance of COVID-19. Among individual studies, SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations derived from passive samplers demonstrated heterogeneous correlation with concentrations from paired composite samples ranging from weak (R2 = 0.27, 0.31) to moderate (R2 = 0.59) to strong (R2 = 0.76). Among passive sampler materials, electronegative membranes have shown great promise with linear uptake of SARS-CoV-2 RNA observed for exposure durations of 24 to 48 h and in several cases RNA positivity on par with composite samples. Continuing development of passive sampling methods for the surveillance of infectious diseases via diverse forms of fecal waste should focus on optimizing sampler materials for the efficient uptake and recovery of biological analytes, kit-free extraction, and resourceefficient testing methods capable of rapidly producing qualitative or quantitative data. With such refinements passive sampling could prove to be a fundamental tool for scaling wastewater surveillance of infectious disease, especially among the 1.8 billion persons living in low-resource settings served by non-traditional wastewater collection infrastructure
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